Marcha das Natas Poster

Pastéis de nata are small enough to feel almost casual, but their history is closely tied to Lisbon. In Belém, pastries associated with the nearby Jerónimos Monastery began to be sold after Portugal’s religious orders were dissolved in the nineteenth century. The famous bakery beside the monastery started producing its version in 1837.

Since then, the custard tart has become part of ordinary Portuguese café life rather than something reserved for visitors or special occasions. A warm nata is often eaten with coffee, with cinnamon or icing sugar added according to taste. The playful idea of a whole procession of them works because the pastry itself is already so familiar: one of those small foods that appears everywhere and needs almost no introduction in Portugal.